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Blogs from Riga, Riga Region, Latvia, Europe - page 3
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September 1st 2011
The beginning of my journey wasn't easy at all. Once I got to the city with a friend of mine, the hostel which was waiting for us was HORRIBLE. I've been traveling quite a lot and I've seen several places but I've never seen such a creepy hostel. It was at the very top of a building (without lift, but later on we discovered that here in Riga people don't really love lifts). Once we got into bedroom we just had a glance to the beds and to the sheets on the bed. They were totally black. Luckily we weren't alone, there was a latvian girl with us who decided to bring us to her home at least for the night. The day after I had to fill in a lots of papers for my Erasmus ... read more
July 23rd 2011
Dupa inca 300 km de drum prost polac , si dupa travesarea rapida a Lituaniei , am ajuns in Letonia, la Riga. Cazarea destul de ok, la approx 1.5 km de centrul vechi. O prima "ciudatenie" - cursul valutar. Moneda locala - lat-ul, fiind mai puternica decat euro (1 eur = 0.7 lat). Prima cladire inalta care ne-a iesit in drum, chiar la intrarea in centrul orasului a fost Monumentul Libertatii , dar din pacate nu ne-am putut urca in varf , fiind doar o statuie foarte inalta, oarecum tipic comunista. Centrul vechi insa, bine ingrijit, cu cladiri renovate si frumoase, dar cu destul de putina agitatie. Putin turisti, raspanditi sporadic intre cele cateva obiective de interes: Swedish Gate, Cat House si Three Broders. Orasul vechi este locuibil si functional. Ne-am gasit si punctul inalt pentru ... read more
July 13th 2011
I haven't had an overwhelming response to the should-I-stay-or-should-I-go question. In fact, no one has offered anything other than assurances that I will make the right one whatever I decision I choose. That's as much sitting on the fence as me. Leaving Liepaja the following morning (or was it that morning) I really wasn't feeling great. Tired, bit of ear ache, slight headache and well, not altogether that great and not having that much fun. But, the road was quite nice once out of Liepaja. Mainly farm land and again wonderful sky vistas. Oh yes. Wherever I looked, a black cloud. It was only a matter of time, I knew, before either I met the weather, or the weather met me. And, sure enough, early afternoon, a downpour. I was sheltering under some oak trees which ... read more
July 5th 2011
We travelled to Latvia via Lux Bus and it was luxury in terms of space when you consider the room on the Easyjet flight. The bus driver was rather tense and stressed, felt like he was about 10 coffees in before our departure time of 8.30am. The funniest part of the journey was when the drivers changed and the new guy had clearly never driven the automated bus before and managed to stall twice leaving the car park. He persisted but it was a long drive in as the bus bunny hopped and stalled about 4 times on the long straight road into Riga, hilarious. When we crossed into Latvia boarder control staff did jump on the bus and do a check of passports even though it was EU to EU. We did notice the difference ... read more
Hicran Cigdem Yorgancioglu Latvia Riga LETONYA 2011
Published: July 5th 2011Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga
July 4th 2011
Hicran Çiğdem Yorgancıoğlu ‘nun Letonya/Latvia- RIGA Devr-i Alem Hicri Alem Hicran Çiğdem Seyahatnamesi’nden ..seyahat notlarından alıntılardır . Her hakkı saklıdır .. / Eserin tüm telif hakları H.Çiğdem Yorgancıoğlu’na aittir . Eserin izinsiz kopyalanması çoğaltımı ,yayını ,dağıtımı halinde 5846 sayılı Fikir ve Sanat Eserleri Kanunun hükümleri geçerli olacaktır. LETONYA CUMHURİYETİ Hint-Avrupa kavimlerinin torunlarına ziyaret vakti .94. Ülkeme döndü pruvam . Öncesi,sonrası ve dahasında ,hangi diyârda kimin hava sahasında Ve dehâsında Miskü amber kokar yeni günüm. Yorganda ,yastıkta , sürmeli rastıkta göz güler kaş çatıkta .Bilirim aradığım ne İskandinavya’da ne de Baltık ‘ta , ne de hevesine doyulmayan artıkta. Bu Kuzey Avrupada Baltık Ülkesinin adı Latvia . Cumhuriyet ile yönetilen ... read more
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July 3rd 2011
After a 4 hour train trip from Tallinn to Riga, I checked into Hotel De Rome. It is very nice. Then went to a restaurant by the name of Vincents and got the most popular dish on the menu which was Potatoes with cabbage salad and bacon. ... read more
The Latvian National Academy of Science
Published: June 30th 2011Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga
July 1st 2011
Soviet-built apartments aren’t roomy; with barely room to swing a cat they don’t excel in storage space and yet of course there’s still a cupboard or two. It was from one of these that Dzintra emerged as I waited with no idea what she was doing. ‘You left these the last time,’ she said. I looked at what she was giving me and saw a pair of board shorts. I barely recognised them but yes they were mine. ‘I knew you’d come back,’ she said, ‘one day.’ Along with her city of Riga, the Latvian capital, Dzintra shares a certain intuition for things; like a blend of old-time wisdom and folklore I remembered I’d learnt to listen when she spoke of felt-things and her words came forth like recitations from the browned pages of a worn ... read more
June 30th 2011
Note: Photos are from the third Latvian trip in 2006 I’d taken up residence with Dzintra, Antra and Anta on the far side of the river in Riga, on my first trip to Latvia, that singular week. We were strangers who’d known each other the whole of our lives, somehow, and they’d shown me the Latvian forest and the beach; the city too. And while it has always astounded me how in so many countries people will put their lives aside in hospitality towards a stranger, I mean how many people closed their shops or took a day off to show me their countries; lives need maintaining too of course. The forest had already cost Dzintra one work day. Of course with school or employment they were busy. So the day came for Bauska to the ... read more
Turning from the East; Turning to the West
Published: July 1st 2011Europe » Latvia » Riga Region » Riga
June 29th 2011
There’s a kind of folk wisdom in her, that lady high up who holds aloft the three stars: she knows the power of songs that brought the end of the Soviet Union to Latvia; she lasted through every changing season. Even in winter when nature says it’s not possible she’s standing in a forest of flowers with her sanctity guarded night and day. I saw that on my second trip to Latvia in 2002. Once, in the Soviet season it was illegal to look at her, I was told, the independence monument in the middle of the plaza beside Riga’s old town. It was because she remembers the first independent Latvia of 1918 - 1940. The three stars she holds are for the three regions of the first Latvia: Vidzeme, Kurzeme and Latgale. A few streets ... read more
June 27th 2011
Latvia is very nice, it feels genuine, like people are going on with the business of living in a regular way, not sure how to say it, but people seem REAL here. We have been recouping from our last week or so of adventure and enjoying the day. Doing some shopping - or I should say some looking - because the US dollar is incredibly weak, you really wouldn't believe just how expensive it is to travel throughout Europe. In Latvia of all the countries I have thought about, we have encountered prices as high, if not higher than they were in Finland. And the terrible thing is there is just so much cute clothing - I want it! But, will instead be happy strolling the streets, seeing the sites and the people. Have learned a ... read more
